User guide
Getting started with TDM
Everything the app can do, in the order you will actually need it. Around five minutes to read; you will probably only need the first two sections.
On this page
1. Installing the app
TDM is distributed through Google Play only. Open the Google Play listing and tap Install. The listing states the Android version required and checks your device before offering the button.
No APK file is published on this website, and installing TDM from a third-party APK mirror is not advisable: builds from mirrors are not signed with the publisher's key and may have been modified by whoever uploaded them.
2. Adding your first download
There are two ways to hand a link to TDM.
Paste a link
- Copy the file URL (long-press the link in your browser → Copy link address).
- Open TDM and tap the + button.
- The URL is picked up from the clipboard automatically; check it and confirm.
- Optionally rename the file before it starts.
Share from another app
In your browser, file manager or any app with a Share menu, choose Share → TDM. The download starts without you switching apps first. This is the faster route once you have used it a couple of times.
3. Managing the queue
The main screen is a single list. Each row shows the filename, the current speed, how much has been transferred, the total size and the estimated time remaining.
- Pause — tap a running item. The partial file is kept.
- Resume — tap again. TDM asks the server to continue from the last byte received. Servers that do not support range requests will restart the file; this is a server limitation, not an app setting.
- Reorder — pause an item to let the next one in the queue start.
- Filter — the tabs at the top separate downloading, finished and failed items.
- Search — the magnifier searches filenames across every category.
Closing TDM does not stop a download. It continues in the background and posts a notification when it finishes.
4. Where files are saved
Finished files go to the download folder set in Settings, in your device storage. TDM groups them in the app by type — video, audio, documents, images, archives, other — but this grouping is a view inside the app; the files themselves stay accessible from any file manager.
Nothing is uploaded. TDM has no cloud storage and no account, so a file you download exists only on your device until you move or delete it.
5. Settings worth changing
| Setting | What it does | Suggested value |
|---|---|---|
| Parallel downloads | How many files transfer at the same time | 2–3 on mobile data, 4–5 on good Wi-Fi |
| Wi-Fi only | Holds downloads until the device is on Wi-Fi | On, if you have a data cap |
| Auto retry | Restarts a failed transfer automatically | On |
| Individual notifications | One notification per finished file instead of a summary | Off if you download in bulk |
| Download folder | Target directory for finished files | Default, unless you use an SD card |
6. If downloads are slow
Download speed is decided by three things, only one of which the app controls:
- Your connection. Run a speed test first. A download cannot be faster than the link.
- The server. Many hosts cap speed per connection or per user. Multi-threading helps against a per-connection cap, and does nothing against a per-user one.
- Concurrency. Six files at once each get a sixth of the bandwidth. Lower the parallel download limit if one specific file is urgent.
No fixed speed increase is promised anywhere on this site, and that is deliberate. On a server that limits a single stream, multi-threaded downloading can make a large difference; on one that limits your account, it makes none.
7. Troubleshooting
The download fails immediately
The link has usually expired. Links from file hosts and one-time share links are often valid for a few minutes. Copy a fresh link and try again.
The file is saved with the wrong name or extension
Some servers do not send a filename. Rename the file in the confirmation dialog before starting, or rename it afterwards in your file manager.
Downloads stop when the screen turns off
Android battery optimisation is suspending the app. In Android Settings → Apps → TDM → Battery, allow unrestricted background activity.
"Storage permission denied"
Grant storage access in Android Settings → Apps → TDM → Permissions. Without it the app cannot write the finished file.
Something else
Write to tdm@devmax.app and it will be looked at. Include your device model, Android version and app version — without those three a problem usually cannot be reproduced. The contact page has the details.
A note on what you download
TDM transfers files from links you provide. It does not remove digital rights management and is not a tool for taking content off streaming services. Make sure you have the right to download a file before you add it — the rules are summarised in the acceptable use section.